Police were able to track the getaway van and six accomplices because one of the suitcases of cash contained a handset with its location turned on

A gang that robbed a 34-year-old Indian mobile-phone trader of two suitcases holding about US$380,000 in cash on Monday were thwarted by a GPS-enabled phone that had been left inside one of the bags.

At around 8 a.m. on Monday in the Hung Hom area of Kowloon, the trader, identified as Kumar, suffered injuries to his right leg and back after six South Asian men attacked him with wooden sticks as he was bringing two suitcases of banknotes — including US$325,000 and 50,000 euros — back to his home on Man Yue Street, Apple Daily reported. The robbers fled with the cases in a van.

The trader called the police, who tracked the cash to Larch Street in Tai Kok Tsui as one suitcase contained a phone that had its location function switched on. The burned out vehicle was found around noon on Shan Tong Road in Tai Po, Metro Daily reported.

Police arrested a 25-year-old Indian surnamed Singh on Canton Road near Bute Street at around 9 a.m. Three hours later, another Indian man, 38, identified as the driver was under arrest in To Kwa Wan. At 10 p.m. a 23-year-old South Asian man was arrested in Tsuen Wan.

One suitcase was retrieved on Pine Street and another was found in a building on Larch Street. No money was lost and police are hunting the remaining three accomplices.